Farmer's Market, Gardening, Food, & Friends.

Yesterday was basically my ideal day.

To start my awesome evening off, I went to the East Nashville Farmer's Market for the first time! I was so overwhelmed and happy by the collection of local famers, bakers, crafters, and shoppers. It was awesome. It's probably now my favorite Farmer's Market in Nashville. I've been disappointed with the downtown Farmer's Market because they sell more imported, non-organic produce than locally-grown produce. I really want to eat in season, and it's hard to do that when I see tomatoes in February and mangos from Mexico. But the East Nashville market features only locally-grown crops in season. It's awesome. So I bought the most beautiful basil & garlic, some amazing Kenny's gruyere cheese (YUM!), and a dozen eggs from grass-fed chickens (about which, I recently read in an article on Mother Nature Network: "According to Penn State University research and other studies, eggs from hens raised on grass pastures contain twice as much vitamin E, two and a half times more omega-3 fatty acids, a third less cholesterol, a fourth less saturated fat, and two-thirds more vitamin A than standard supermarket eggs that come from tightly confined caged hens"... plus they seriously taste better!). YUM YUM YUM. It was really fun. There were cute kids running around, and dogs soaking up the sun. It was perfect.

Then I came home to my awesome husband & we got to work on our garden. We dug up the garden & turned the soil with a broadfork we borrowed from Nathan's workplace, The Nashville Food Project. While Nathan finished turning the soil, I knelt down in the dirt and pulled the weeds & bermuda grass out. I got really dirty... it was awesome. Then, when I went in to start on dinner, Nathan planted an herb bed of mint, basil, and cilantro next to our beautiful rosemary bush; he also planted a bed of tomatoes and bell peppers. We still have watermelon, and beans to plant. Oh, and we got our beautiful yellow rose bush planted in the front yard! Nathan drew out plans for the rest of the garden space, and we made a list of supplies to buy at Lowe's. It is so exciting to be able to look out the window and see a little garden. It's life-giving in so many ways.

After gardening, we ate the most delicious dinner, and with the most wonderful friend! Marie came over to update us on her life and share in a yummy meal of roasted red-pepper risotto topped with fresh tomato slices & fresh pesto, some roasted fresh summer squash, and fresh-baked bread toasted with local gruyere cheese. It was a meal of dreams.

I love days that end the way yesterday ended. I love food (anyone who's seen the size of my tush would know that), and I love enjoying in the process of food, from seedling to finished meal, all in the midst of a community of growers, eaters, & admirers.

I wish I had some pictures to share of the Farmer's Market, our garden, or our yummy meal, but unfortunately I can't find where the heck I packed away my camera battery charger. Ugh.

Oh, and in other news, today is Sarah's birthday!!! Thank goodness for wonderfuly women like Sarah. She's smart, passionate, talented, funny, cute as a button, clever, reliable, and just plain awesome. Thanks for being my friend, Sarah. And tonight we're spending the evening celebrating her birth & life by going to the 90s themed Way Late Play Date at the Adventure Science Center! YES! :-)

Me & Nathan with Sarah & her girlfriend Lauren. Love them.